1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for accessing a telephone number in a mobile communication terminal, and more particularly to a method for accessing a telephone number in a mobile terminal using a hot key inputted by a user of the mobile terminal.
2. Background of the Related Art
A user of a mobile communication terminal generally assigns a telephone number storing area (memory location) in a memory of a mobile terminal. The user can store respective telephone numbers and related information in the various memory locations. When the user wants to call the telephone number stored in the memory locations, the user can attempt to connect the call using a hot key corresponding to the memory locations in which the telephone number is stored. If the user does not remember the hot key for the memory locations of the corresponding telephone number, the user can search a telephone number searching menu for the telephone number corresponding to the data stored in the telephone number storing area. The search can be done using any of the storing address, the telephone number, and the associated name that were inputted when the telephone number was stored. The user can then try to call connect to the searched telephone number.
In the above described related art telephone number accessing method, the user optionally stores a home number, an office number, and a cellular phone number related to a particular person in respective memory locations. It can therefore be inconvenient to manage telephone numbers for the same person. In addition, it may be difficult to remember all corresponding storing addresses. The function of accessing the telephone number using the storing address is thus lowered.
In order to solve the above problem, when a certain storing address is set, each of the telephone numbers for the particular person are stored in detailed items under a single memory locations. One of the detailed items is set as a representative or default telephone number. For example, in order to connect the storing address comprising detailed items such as house, office, and cell phone to the hot key, one of the telephone numbers stored in the detailed items is set as a representative number associated with the hot key.
FIG. 1 is a flow chart showing a related art method for accessing a telephone number in the mobile terminal. As shown therein, the mobile terminal determines whether or not the user inputs a key and recognizes key data generated when the user selects or depresses a key in an idle mode (S11). Next, if a key has been depressed, it is determined whether or not the inputted key is a hot key (S12). If no key input has been detected, however, the process returns to step S11 to determine whether or not the user inputs the key. The mobile terminal discerns that the depressed key is the hot key when the depressed key generates a signal after being pushed for a prescribed period of time. Alternatively, the mobile terminal determines the key pushing to be a general telephone number when the key is not pushed more than a reference time.
When the key inputted by the user is the hot key, the mobile terminal determines whether there is a memory location corresponding to the inputted key (S13). If there is no corresponding memory locations the mobile terminal displays an error message on a display unit (S14) and returns to step S11. However, if there is the storing address corresponding to the inputted key, a call connection to the telephone number which is set as the representative number among the detailed items in the storing address is attempted (S15). When the call is connected (S16), the mobile terminal returns to the process of recognizing the key input of the user after the call is completed.
If the inputted key is not the hot key, the mobile terminal defines the inputted key as a general telephone number and attempts to call that telephone number (S17). If the inputted key comprises an appropriate telephone number structure, the call is made.
As shown in FIG. 2, the user who stores the telephone number as group unit inputs the storing number 032 corresponding to Kil-dong, Hong through a key input unit of the mobile terminal in order to make a call to a cell phone of Kil-dong, Hong.
When the inputted key 032 is determined to be the hot key, the mobile terminal searches the memory locations corresponding to 032. Additionally, the mobile phone displays the cell phone number 019-789-1234, which is the representative number of Kil-dong, Hong, on the display unit of the mobile terminal and attempts to call the cell phone number.
The related art method of accessing a telephone number in the mobile phone using the hot key has various problems. For example, the call is only connected to the representative number of the corresponding memory locations. Therefore, if the user wants to make a call to a telephone number other that the representative number, the user is not able to use the hot key. Instead, the user is required to search for the telephone number using the searching function in the user menu or must manually input the telephone number to call that telephone number.
The above references are incorporated by reference herein where appropriate for appropriate teachings of additional or alternative details, features and/or technical background.